Will Palestinians accept Romney's outstretched hand?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Christian Science Monitor
by Joshua Mitnick - October 9, 2012 - 12:00am

Tel Aviv, Israel Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has softened his message to Palestinians, even as he makes mending ties with Israel a main foreign policy plank.

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PA distributes August salaries
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
October 3, 2012 - 12:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- The Palestinian Authority finance ministry said Wednesday that it was distributing late salaries to employees who have been waiting since early September to be paid. Ministry spokesman Rami Mahdawi said the salaries would be paid out on Thursday to employees making over 4,500 shekels per month. Their full salaries had been put on hold to pay lower wage earners.

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Vote on Palestinian UN bid within two months: Abbas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
October 3, 2012 - 12:00am

RAMALLAH, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced Tuesday that the bid for the UN recognition of Palestine as a non-member state will be presented and voted on in October or November.

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Palestinian Authority’s woes are a problem for US, Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Boston Globe
(Editorial) October 1, 2012 - 12:00am

The Palestinian Authority is on the verge of financial collapse — and that’s not just a problem for Palestinians. It is also bad news for the United States and Israel, both of which say they support a future Palestinian state. Unrest is spreading in the West Bank over high prices and delayed salary payments by the Palestinian Authority, the area’s largest employer. Economic woes add to mounting frustration after four years of stalled peace talks.

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Palestinians: 2 teams to probe Arafat's death
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Mohammed Daraghmeh - October 1, 2012 - 12:00am

RAMALLAH, West Bank —Investigators from France and Switzerland will conduct parallel probes into the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Palestinian officials said Monday. His remains will be exhumed, at a date kept secret, to give each team a chance to draw samples to test for poisoning. The two teams are acting separately on behalf of Arafat's widow Suha Arafat and the Palestinian Authority, who each had misgivings about the other's investigation.

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Palestinian official says Obama didn't ask to resume Mideast talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
October 1, 2012 - 12:00am

  RAMALLAH, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- The United States President Barack Obama didn't ask the Palestinian side for resuming the peace talks with Israel, a senior Palestinian official said Monday. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told Xinhua on telephone that the Palestinian side hasn't received any official offer or proposal from anybody to resume peace negotiations with Israel.

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PA releases Zakaria Zubeidi on bail
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
October 1, 2012 - 12:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Former Fatah fighter Zakaria Zubeidi was released from Palestinian Authority jail on Monday evening, his lawyer said. Zubeidi has been charged with connection to the shooting on the late Jenin governor's house in May, attorney Farid Hawash said. Qaddura Musa died hours later of a heart attack. Hawash said Zubeidi would plead not guilty at the next hearing on Oct. 7. The Jenin court released him on bail of 5,000 Jordanian dinar, he added.

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Poll: 72 percent plan to vote in October's local elections
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
September 29, 2012 - 12:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- A new poll shows 72 percent of Palestinians plan to vote in elections taking place in three weeks, but supporters of Hamas are much less likely to participate in the vote, which is being boycotted by the party. In a poll published on Saturday by the Arab World for Research & Development, 85 percent said they support holding local elections, which will take place on Oct. 20 in the West Bank only.

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Group: 6 Palestinians killed in Syria
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
September 26, 2012 - 12:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Six Palestinians were killed in Syria on Wednesday, a local group said, with some of the bodies showing signs of torture. The coordinating committee of Yarmouk refugee camp told Ma'an that four Palestinians were killed at a security checkpoint near the city of Aleppo.

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PA minister suspected of sexual harassment revealed to be Fatah member in charge of coordination with Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Avi Issacharoff - September 25, 2012 - 12:00am

The Palestinian minister that has been suspected of sexually harassing an employee was revealed to be Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh, a senior Fatah member and the person in charge of the civilian and security coordination with Israel.

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